Lawrenceville voters sent two sitting city council members packing Tuesday after Mayor David Still and Councilman Bruce Johnson did something rare in local politics — they endorsed the challengers instead of their own colleagues.
Why It Matters: The decisive defeats signal a shift in power at City Hall just as Gwinnett’s county seat prepares to vote on annexing nearly 19,000 new residents. The unusual public split between elected officials suggests deeper divisions on the five-member council about the city’s direction.
What’s Happening: Randy Travis, a retired FOX 5 investigative reporter, captured the Post 3 seat with 1,062 votes against incumbent Austin Thompson’s 527, according to unofficial results from the city. In the Post 4 race, Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office Major Bryant Harris won with 1,021 votes over incumbent Marlene Taylor-Crawford’s 562.
The Backstory: Travis spent 45 years in television news, much of it working FOX 5’s I-Team investigating government waste and corruption. He told the AJC the victory felt better than any Emmy he’d won and that he wanted to move from watchdog to inside reformer. Harris, who was born and raised in Gwinnett, campaigned on public safety credentials and bringing fresh perspectives to City Hall.
What’s Next: Travis and Harris will take office in January 2026, joining Still, Johnson, and Mayor Pro Tem Victoria Jones on the council. The new lineup will face immediate decisions about a proposed annexation that would add more than 5,700 parcels to the city and reduce tax-exempt property from 40% to 21% of the tax base. The annexation question goes before voters in May 2026.
The Sources: City of Lawrenceville.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
